EFT Flow

AgExpert to Bank: Farm Supplier Payments

AgExpert doesn't generate CPA-005 files. Here's how to bridge the gap and pay suppliers, workers, and contractors via direct deposit—even during harvest when you're offline.

The problem: FCC's AgExpert is great for farm accounting, but it can't create the EFT files Canadian banks need. During harvest, you need to pay suppliers and workers fast—but you're in the field, not at a bank branch.

The AgExpert EFT gap

AgExpert (from Farm Credit Canada) handles farm accounting well: income tracking, expenses, inventory, and tax preparation. But when it's time to actually pay people, you hit a wall.

What AgExpert can do

  • Track accounts payable (who you owe)
  • Generate payment reports
  • Export to Excel/CSV
  • Print cheques

What AgExpert can't do

  • Generate CPA-005 files for direct deposit
  • Connect directly to your bank's EFT system
  • Batch process EFT payments

This leaves farm operators with two options: write cheques (slow, requires trips to town) or manually enter payments in online banking (tedious when you have 20+ suppliers to pay).

The better option: Export from AgExpert, convert to CPA-005, upload once.

Export-to-bank workflow

Here's how to turn AgExpert data into bank-ready EFT files:

1
Generate payment run in AgExpert (2 min)
Accounts Payable → Select invoices to pay → Generate payment report.
2
Export to Excel/CSV (1 min)
Export the payment list with payee names, amounts, and references.
3
Add banking details (one-time setup)
First time: add supplier bank info (institution, transit, account). After: it's saved.
4
Import and convert to CPA-005 (3 min)
Import the Excel file, map columns (saved from last time), generate the bank file.
5
Upload to your bank (2 min)
Log into business banking, upload the CPA-005 file, authorize payment.

First run: ~20 minutes (includes adding supplier bank details).
Every run after: ~10 minutes (supplier info is saved).

Harvest season payments

Harvest is when payment volume spikes: custom harvesters, trucking, grain handling, fuel, parts, seasonal workers. And it's exactly when you have the least time to deal with payments.

Typical harvest payment volume

  • Custom operators: 2-5 payments (combining, spraying, trucking)
  • Fuel suppliers: 2-4 payments (diesel, gas for trucks)
  • Parts and repairs: 5-10 payments (breakdowns happen)
  • Grain handling: 2-3 payments (drying, storage, cleaning)
  • Seasonal workers: 5-20 payments (depends on operation size)

Total: 15-40+ payments during a 4-6 week period. That's a lot of cheques to write.

With batch EFT, you can process all those payments in one sitting—even if you only have 15 minutes at the end of a long day in the field.

SAWP worker payments

If you hire Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP) workers, direct deposit makes their lives easier and your paperwork simpler.

SAWP payment considerations

  • Weekly or bi-weekly pay: Regular payment schedule required
  • Deductions: Track separately in AgExpert, pay net amounts via EFT
  • Multiple workers: Batch all worker payments in one file
  • Canadian bank accounts: Workers typically open accounts on arrival

Pay all your SAWP workers in one batch upload. No individual cheques to distribute, no trips to town. Workers get paid on time, every time.

Record keeping

Every EFT file is a record of payments made. Combined with AgExpert's expense tracking, you have complete documentation for SAWP compliance and year-end taxes.

Offline capability

Farm operations don't always have reliable internet—especially during field work. Desktop tools that work offline are essential.

What works offline

  • AgExpert: Fully offline desktop software
  • EFT file generation: Desktop tools work without internet
  • File validation: Check for errors before you have connectivity

What needs internet

  • Bank upload: You need internet to submit the file (but this takes 2 minutes)

The workflow: Do your payment prep offline (export from AgExpert, generate EFT file). When you have connectivity—even briefly—upload to the bank. The actual upload takes under 2 minutes.

Time savings

During harvest, every hour matters. Here's what batch EFT saves:

Method 20 payments 50 payments
Cheques 1-2 hours (print, sign, mail/deliver) 3-5 hours
Manual bank entry 40-60 minutes 2-3 hours
Batch EFT file 15 minutes 20 minutes

Harvest season math

4 payment runs during harvest × 2 hours saved per run = 8+ hours back. That's a full day of combining or trucking you're not losing to payment admin.

Summary

  • AgExpert doesn't generate CPA-005 files—but it exports to Excel
  • Convert AgExpert exports to bank-ready EFT files in minutes
  • Process 20-50 harvest payments in one batch upload
  • Pay SAWP workers via direct deposit—simpler for everyone
  • Works offline for file prep; only need internet briefly for bank upload
  • Save 8+ hours during harvest season vs cheques or manual entry

Ready to simplify farm payments?

EFT Flow converts your AgExpert exports into bank-ready CPA-005 files. Works offline. Pay suppliers, workers, and contractors via direct deposit.

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